Wednesday, August 01, 2012

Go Further with Ford - Day Three

Day Three was all about driving. There were six events for us to experience on the Ford test track, each showcasing the 2013 vehicle line. While most of the other attendees were thrilled about this, I was apprehensive. After all, I didn't get my license until I was 23 and I still drive like a little old lady. I like a swanky ride as much as anyone but my need for speed is pretty close to nil. Still, I was pretty excited to see how the interiors looked with all the tech we'd been learning about and check out the, uh, safety features. Lame, I know!

I basically followed these two around, since they're crazy speed demons. I mean, awesome drivers.

Lori let me be her ride-along for the Police Interceptor. I must admit we dorked out, especially when we realized we chose the car without a working siren. Boo! We had to make our own siren sounds, naturally, and witty banter about catching the bad guys.

The new Mustangs are pretty. As if you didn't know that!

The view from waiting in line for the F-150 SVT Raptor Offroad drive was a bit daunting. We don't have hills in Kansas! I'm always laughing about the incline features on 4WD vehicles here.

Also daunting: having to wear a weird balaclava like thing and helmets. Oh, yikes.

Having survived the offroad test, I drove the totally-more-my-speed Focus Electric. Someday I'll have an electric vehicle. Someday…

I took way more photos but my computer seemed to eat them. The most hilarious event was the relay race on the Technology Midway where you had to parallel park hands-free using Park Assist and open the trunk with the hands-free liftgate, all while handing off a baton and running. I even came close to winning a speed test in the 2013 Escape but was beaten by Lori, of all people, by a split second. Rats! I've got to practice.

All in all, seeing Ford's new product line and getting to drive the cars is awesome but what I really love about this event is learning about the thought process and innovation that runs through the company. Seriously, every Ford employee I spoke to was excited about the direction the company was headed in, and not in an obsequious way at all. They seem genuinely vested in making Ford a company that continues to be ahead of the curve, not just in earnings, but intellectually. Impressive.

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that Ford paid for my travel and lodging.. No other compensation was provided. All opinions are, as usual, entirely my own.

2 comments:

I've enjoyed reading about this whole experience. Really fascinating stuff, and it's great to hear how forward thinking Ford is. We drive a Focus and love it, though an electric one would be even better.

How cool that you got to go behind the scenes in their creative processes and implementation. Jealous!